The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay The Radio Bench Need help with amp, on/off, volume inside AD radio

So here is what I am thinking...I got two 1950's chevy truck's radio (one I will be trying to restore to original and the other will be use for the interior part for the first one)
I want to gut all the inside for the second radio. Install 2- 4" speakers and wire one of those motorcycle mini amps inside of it, Like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/2-CH-500W-Car-A...=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item588a5bd4e9. Use one of the dial/knobs to turn the amp on/off and the other dial/knob to up/down volume. Connect the original light bulb inside the radio to the power so the dial can lit when it is on. The amp already has an output for my ipod which it has all the music I need. The ipod will be sitting inside the glove box. I know it won't brake windows as I am driving by, but it will give some nice music to listen to. It will not have a radio but I don't want one. Instead, I want to use my ipod as a source and play thru the original radio location. I will give me the apperance of the old radio but the benefit of my ipod.



Here are the few questions I have since I know nothing about electronics but I am a fast learner.That's why I am doing this before setting on restoring the other radio.



Has anyone done this with a "know how" video or photos?

I probably can figure how to wire both knobs volume and on/off to work but does anyone know which to use to retain the same long shaft look of the original radio and be able to use the original knobs to it.



Any help will help. Thank you in advance...If I can get it to work I figure I can do it with less than $150 and I can get all the music I need.

So, with the little speakers, I think you will have better sound with your chev radio.
That little amp you linked to, it 250 watts per channel, would be lots of power, but likely would overdrive your little speakers, plus without a proper enclosure, they just won't sound very good.

For less than $150 you could restore your tube radio.

If you are hell bent to get some sound in there, why not buy one of those cheap radios that fit in the dash, and some speakers that fit in the door kicks?

Main reason is looks and available music. The way I was thinking to use the original raio shell, it will allow me to keep all the buttons, face dial...and with a working light bulb it can fool anyone. The problem with the original radio is that it is AM and I am not so much a fan of AM, besides I don't want to make a hole for the antenna and even less on the kick panels for speakers. I just want some music to go along while I drive.
I doubt that little amp puts out 500 watts...I bet is more like 75 on a cheap chinese version of an amp...so I figure it should go nice with a couple of acoustic speakers.

I love that idea. The thought of having the original radio in place and light up, and having the dials to manipulate the amp is great. Of course the devil is in the details.

My two cents. get the lights on the radio to work, and forget about the rest. wire the amp into the radio feed so they both come on together. mount a regular amp under the seat or on top of or underneath the radio in the dash along with some 5-1/4" speakers. and find one that has a USB port to plug in and charge your ipod/iphone.

You have given me a great idea. Now I am interested in finding an old radio to try this with. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I wonder what percentage of ADs came with radios. I would think most farmers would probably choose to listen to the wind.

I have restored 100's of these radio, I think it's like everthing else ,if your looking for it you cann't find it ,if your not looking for them they are every where! Ford,Dodge,Wllys,and International radios I've seen very few of, Dodges the least of all ,althought the 48-50 Dodge uses the Mopar 802, witch is used in the passenger 46-48 and common radio built by Philco, Willys started using Zenith, then Motorola , and then Delco, a radio almost the same as the 54-59 GMC!

Bill,

do you have a shell of one for a 49 chevy?

Yes!I have a Shell for a 47-49 slant back What I can use is the control, on/off/volume/tone, I have most of everything else